The History of Western Landscape Architecture is a global online course, offered by the Department of Landscape architecture, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The course systematically expounds the social backgrounds, landscape architects, representative cases and characteristics of gardens in history of western landscape architecture, from 2700BC up to now, as ancient gardens, medieval gardens, renaissance gardens, classical gardens, English landscape gardens, urban public parks and park systems, modern landscape and ecological design. The focus of the course is to guide students to sort out the historical context of development of western landscape architecture art, to distinguish the differences of garden characteristics, and to analyze the impact factors as social, historical, philosophical, and artistic one. The difficulty of learning is to cultivate abilities to explore and active learning. Through case study, the course aims at guiding students to think about influence of Chinese traditional gardens and western gardens on characteristics of other European countries, as well as impacts on urban public parks, park systems and ecological planning and design. The goals of the course are to repeat the developing process of landscape architecture, distinguish the artistic features and design approaches in various stages, to analyze the factors that influence the change of garden styles, and to evaluate its impact on the construction of modern landscape architecture, in order to improve the logical thinking abilities, aesthetic and appreciation abilities, as well as critical thinking abilities. Meanwhile, by terms of discussion and reflection as to the comparison of Chinese and western gardens, to explore the differences and integration.

Through the study of this course, students should master the following contents:

1.     List the factors that influence the development of landscape architecture art, such as location, environment, religious theology, philosophy, art and respective figures.

2.     Retell the development courses of western landscape architecture, such as ancient gardening period, medieval gardening period, Renaissance gardening period, classical gardening period, English landscape gardens, and modern landscape architecture.

3.     To appreciate the representative cases in different development stages of western landscape architecture, as well as gardeners and artistic features.

4.     Distinguish the differences and connections between the artistic features of landscape architecture in different development stages.

5.     To evaluate the influence of the development of western landscape architecture on the modern urban green space.

It is suggested to refer to the books as history of Chinese traditional gardens, the history of western architecture, and the history of western art, in order to strengthen the understanding of knowledge points.

1.     Zhu J.N. Western Landscape History. Beijing: China Forestry Press, 2013.

2.     Tom Turner. Garden History: Philosophy and Design 2000BC-2000AD. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2005.

3.     Around the World in 80 Gardens

4.     Lu S.M. From Syntax to Plot the spatial language of a Chinese garden [J]. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2009, 25 (9): 1-15.

5.     Lu S.M. Hidden orders in Chinese gardens: irregular fractal structure and its generative rules [J]. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2017, 37(9): 1076-1094.

6.     Peng Y.G. Analysis of Chinese Traditional Gardens. Beijing: China Building Industry Press, 2008.

7.     Shokichi Harigaya. Seiyo Zoen Hensenshi, Seibundo Shinkosha Publishing Co., Ltd., 1977.

8.     Wang X.R., Lin Q. Theories and Practices of Modern Landscape Architecture in the Western World, 2002

9.     Walker Peter, Simo Melanie. Invisible Gardens. The MIT Press, 1994.

Q: Can students not major in landscape architecture take this course?

A: Yes, you can. Although students with relevant professional knowledge could more easily understand the course, this course can also be learnt by students in an acceptable way to get the art history of landscape architecture.

Q: As the there is a long history of western landscape architecture, how to effectively remember the development course?

A: Although it is difficult to remember such a long historical development process and complex art features of those gardens. However, the characteristics of gardens in each period of the development of western landscape architecture are relatively obvious, it is easy to be remembered. Secondly, we carefully designed the topics, structure, teaching methods, and field trip video, to help students effective understand. According to different countries, historical periods, and artistic characteristics, the teacher taking the corresponding cloths, which can also help students to re member effectively.

Q: How to master the artistic features of western landscape architecture effectively and deeply?

A: This course not only aimed at promoting students' interest in learning western garden history, but also improve their ability to learn, as well as critical and innovative thinking. In order to achieve the above teaching objectives, a variety of teaching methods are adopted, which are problem-oriented, BOPPPS, such as introduction, learning objectives, pre-test, participatory learning, post-test and summary, to help students understand the knowledge and structure of western landscape architecture.